Bar Association (episode)
Quark's employees, lead by Rom, form a union against Quark's unfair labor practices and promptly go on strike. Summary Rom collapses while working in Quark's Bar. Rom is sent to the infirmary where Doctor Bashir finds that he has a severe ear infection that had been left unattended for weeks. When Doctor Bashir asks why, Rom says the he didn't have any vacation time. Doctor Bashir says casually that he should petition Quark to add vacation time and sick leave to the bar's employees by forming a union. Rom is discharged and when he recovers, he returns to the bar to find Quark in a meeting with the employees. The meeting is not good...the Bajoran Time of Cleansing has sapped the bar's customer base and as a result profits for the previous quarter are way down at Quark's. Quark decides to remedy his profit margin by cutting the employees' salaries by one-third. Rom pleads with Quark to reconsider the pay cut, and he does...the decision stands. Rom then asks if the pay cuts will be re-instated after the Cleansing Festival ends. Quark says that it all depends on the next quarter's financial report. Rom asks as a brother to grant him a personal favor and re-instate the employee's pay. Quark again says no and adds that they are not brothers at the bar. Their relationship is only employer and employee. Rom threatens that if Quark does not re-instate the pay cuts then he will regret it. Quark says that the only thing he regrets is not being an only child. Rom leaves in shock. Jadzia Dax and Worf have returned from sparring in the holosuites. Worf hears something in the conduits above the hallway. He hits a panel in the ceiling with his bat'leth. The panel gives way, and a man falls to the floor with several items. Jadzia sees that the man has Worf's tooth sharpener on his person. The man just robbed Worf's quarters. Angrily, Worf takes the man to Odo's office. Odo arrests the man and has him taken to a holding cell. Worf indends to give his statement and demands to know why security lapses like these occur on DS9. Odo says that those things just happen. Worf does not accept this answer and says that those sorts of things did not happen when he served as Chief of Security on the Enterprise. Odo perks up and says, "Really?" and pulls out a PADD and begins to read a list of security lapses on the Enterprise. He says that he knows those are the exception rather than the rule, but if those sorts of things happen on the flagship of the Federation, imagine how difficult it is to maintain security on an open port like DS9. Worf apologizes and says that the theft was upsetting. Odo agrees, but says that Worf will just have to get used to it. Rom holds a secret meeting with the employee's of the bar and says the he wants form a union. Some of the employees are shocked that Rom would even suggest forming a union. The Ferengi Commerce Authority (FCA) strictly forbids employees to form unions. Rom says not to be afraid of the FCA, to stand up and fight for what they want. Rom even names a few employees who could benefit from sick leave or vacation time. The employees finally agree to form the union and present their demands to Quark. Rom goes to the infirmary and seeks Dr. Bashir's advice on unions. Dr. Bashir is surprised that Rom went to such an extreme, he was only speaking metaphorically. Chief O'Brien, who is being treated for a cyst on the back of his neck, encourages Rom and tells him about his ancestor, Seamus O'Brien, who was a union man back in 1902 Pennsylvania. Seamus and a group of employees striked against the owners of a coal mine and refused to open the mine until their demands were met. Dr. Bashir warns Rom to only strike as a last resort; perhaps Quark will give in to the union's demands. Chief O'Brien says that Quark is too stubborn and that the union will have to strike. O'Brien then makes the remark that Seamus O'Brien gave the ultimate sacrifice for his union--he was found dead in the Alleghany River with 32 gunshot wounds in him (or was it 34?). Quark returns to the bar to find the union waiting for him. Quark thinks it is a birthday surprise; they're a month too late. Rom says that they are The Guild of Restaurant and Casino Employees and they are there to present their demands. Quark reads their demands and laughs. Rom says this is no joke. Quark says it is and to get back to work until he fires all of them. Rom has no choice but to go on strike. The strike begins and the union is thanking people for not dining at Quark's. Quark asks Odo to ask them to leave. Odo says no; they are assembling peacefully and they have not blocked the upper entrance to the bar. Meanwhile, on the upper level of the Promenade, Doctor Bashir and Chief O'Brien are taking bets as to who will enter or pass the upper entrance of Quark's Bar. They are surprised to find that Commander Worf enters the bar...both Bashir and O'Brien thought Worf would not do so. They walk into the bar to have a word with the Commander. Worf, Doctor Bashir, and Chief O'Brien are then seen in one of Odo's holding cells. Doctor Bashir has a gash on his forehead. Captain Sisko angrily asks why members of his senior staff were fighting on the Promenade. O'Brien and Worf explain that they weren't fighting, they just had a simple disagreement. Bashir says that he was trying to stop the fight. Sisko says that he heard that Doctor Bashir was thrown over a table. O'Brien says that Bashir just got in the way. Sisko, frustrated, says that he will have to talk to Quark himself to find an end to the strike. O'Brien asks the Captain if they will be let go. Sisko agrees to tell Odo to let them out...in the morning. Bashir sits down and says that he hopes O'Brien and Worf are proud of themselves. Quark is summoned to the Captain's office. Sisko says that he sees the end to the strike as simple. In fact, Quark could get an agreement today if he went to talk to Rom. Quark says that Sisko doesn't understand, merely talking to a union violates the core aspects of Ferengi culture. Sisko says that he may not understand Ferengi culture, but he does know who holds the lease on Quark's Bar; the Federation. The Federation was extremely lenient with Quark's rent, but that ends today. Sisko then reads off a list of things Quark owes---maintenance requests, the drain on the station's power supply--and asks how much latinum that is. Quark says that it is a lot and agrees to talk to his brother. Sisko says he is glad they're in agreement. Quark goes to Rom's quarters and attemps to bribe him with latinum to get him to end the union. Rom refuses. Rom says that until the employee's demands are met, he will continue to strike. Rom meets with the employees to tell them what had happened. Grimp, a Ferengi, asks if Rom took the bribe. Rom says no and tell the employees that it is only a matter of time before Quark gives into their demands. Grimp is reluctant to agree, Quark may agree too much with Ferengi Rule of Acquisition #211: Employees are the rungs on the ladder of success. Don't hesitate to step on them. The meeting is interrupted when the door is forced open. Enter Brunt, FCA liquidator, along with two Nausicaans. Frool grovels at Brunt's feet asking for forgiveness. Brunt angrily says that if they were on Ferenginar, the union would be shoved off the Tower of Commerce one by one while small children would bet on where they would land. Their splattered remains would be ground up into feed for gree worms. Rom points out that they aren't on Ferenginar; lucky for them, Brunt replies. Brunt says that the FCA will show mercy because they have been corrupted by Federation ideals. He says that nothing will happen to the union if they return to work the following morning. Otherwise, their families will be fined and their Ferenginar accounts will be siezed, leaving them destitute. Brunt and the Nausicaans leave to make their decision, leaving Frool groveling on the floor. Grimp tells Frool to get up, but Rom tells him to stay down, that's where he belongs. The question is where do the rest of them belong. The union decides to continue fighting for what they want and leave the room with Frool still on the floor. The strike continues. Quark tries to talk to Rom once again to dissolve the union, but he refuses once again. Quark says Rom shouldn't be a fool, now that the FCA is involved, they will do anything to stop him. Quark says that if he doesn't dissolve the union soon, he wouldn't be able to help him. Worf talks to Chief O'Brien and apologizes for the altercation they had in Quark's. Chief O'Brien says not to worry about it, they shoved each other and--with a chuckle--Dr. Bashir was thrown over a table. Worf says that the station has bothered him. As a result, he is going to live on the Defiant. Back in Quark's, the two Nausicans were engaging in a Nausican pain game. Brunt is increasingly frustrated with the union's will. He says that he has to send a message to Rom. The only way to do this is to hurt someone close to him. Brunt couldn't stand to hurt Leeta--she has such delicate lobes--so he decides for the next best thing...Quark. Quark is in the infirmary on a bio-bed. Rom arrives to find that the Nausicaans shattered his right eye socket, fractured his ribs and punctured his lower lung. It was lucky that they didn't kill him. Rom says too bad, after all, Odo has Brunt and the Nausicans in a holding cell and he has an open and shut case. Quark refuses to press charges, after all, the FCA would just send another liquidator to make an example of Rom. The next liquidator would definitely succeed. Rom refuses to dissolve the union and will not do so until Quark accepts all of their demands. Quark finally relents and offers Rom everything that the union wants--but Rom must make it look like Quark has won. Rom resigns from his post as head of the Union; the union dies, but the employees get all they want. The pay raises will go into effect by the end of the week. Worf settles into his quarters on the Defiant. Jadzia Dax gives Worf a gift: a copy of her favorite Klingon operas. The Bajoran Time of Cleansing is over, and everyone has returned to Quark's. Rom arrives in the bar in a Bajoran uniform and states that he is now on the night shift of the engineering crew. Quark expresses concern, but Rom says that he will be fine working on his own. Memorable Quotes "Workers of the World, unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains." : - Rom "Maybe I don't know much about Ferengi culture, but I do know who holds the lease on your bar." : - Sisko "I thought you said you weren't afraid of the FCA." "I lied." : - Grimp and Frool "It's not Quark's fault that I got sick. I forgot to get my bimonthly ear scan. And besides, I've probably been getting too much oo-mox." "Really? Who's the lucky female?" "No female. Just me." "I'm sorry." "Sorry enough to do something about it?" : - Rom and Leeta Background Information * The original title of the episode was "The Bar Association", at least in the script, but the title as it appears in the actual episode is simply "Bar Association". * Referenced Ferengi Rules of Acquisition: #211 and #263 * Odo references the events of TNG: "A Matter of Time" and "Rascals". Links and References Guest Stars * Max Grodénchik as Rom * Chase Masterson as Leeta * Jason Marsden as Grimp * Emilio Borelli as Frool ;And: * Jeffrey Combs as Brunt Uncredited Co-Stars * Mark Allen Shepherd as Morn * Dennis Madalone as Dopterian Robber References Anthracite strike of 1902; Bajoran Time of Cleansing; Berlinghoff Rasmussen; Brian Boru; Battle of Clontarf; Deep Space 9; Dopterian; fast; Ferenginar; Ferengi Commerce Authority; Ferengi Rules of Acquisition; Guild of Restaurant and Casino Employees; Kobheerian; Lissepian; Sean Aloysius O'Brien; Lurin; Pakled; USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D); contract |next= }} Category:DS9 episodes de:Der Streik es:Bar Association nl:Bar Association